Okay, so I saw this thing online about what different shoelace colors are supposed to mean. Like, it’s some kind of secret code or something. I thought, “No way, that can’t be real,” but I was curious enough to check it out.
First, I dug around online. I mostly found a bunch of random forum posts and articles, nothing super reliable. Some people were saying it was all made up, others were swearing it was a real thing, especially back in the day with certain subcultures.
My Little Experiment
I decided to do my own little experiment. I have a few pairs of old sneakers, so I grabbed some different colored laces I had lying around. I figured I’d wear them out and about and see if anyone reacted, or if I noticed anything different.
- Red Laces: I put red laces on my black shoes. Some sites said this could mean anything from “punk” to some really aggressive stuff I don’t even want to repeat. I wore them to the grocery store, the park, just normal everyday places. Honestly, nobody even blinked.
- White Laces: Next, I tried white laces. Apparently, this is another one with some potentially charged meanings, some related to extremist groups. Again, I wore them out, went to a coffee shop, walked around downtown. Still nothing. Zero reaction.
- Other Colors: I also tried some other random colors – blue, yellow, even some rainbow ones. Still, nothing.
My Conclusion (For Now)
So, based on my totally unscientific, limited experiment? I’m calling this mostly bunk. Maybe it was a thing in a very specific time and place, in certain small groups, but in my everyday life, it seems like nobody cares or even knows about these “secret meanings.” It’s more likely that people just choose shoelace colors they like, that match their shoes or their style.
Of course, this is just my experience. I might try this again in a different city or at a concert or something, just to see if I get different results. But for now, I’m thinking it’s more of an urban legend than a real-world communication system.
